Contemplation And The Book

Ἔλεγε περί τινος τῶν Σκητιωτῶν ὁ ἀββᾶς Ἀβραὰμ, ὅτι γραφεὺς ἧν, καὶ οὐκ ἤσθιεν ἄρτον. Ἤλθεν οὖν ἀδελφὸς παρακαλῶν αὐτὸν γράψαι αὐτῷ βιβλίον. Ὁ οὖν γέρων ἔχων τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν θεωρίαν, ἔγραψε παρὰ στίχους, καὶ οὑκ ἔστιχεν. Ὁ δὲ ἀδελφὸς λαβὼν καὶ θέλων στίξαι, εὗρε παρὰ λόγους. Καὶ λέγει τῷ γέροντι· Παρὰ στίχους ἐστὶν, ἀββᾶ Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων· Ὕπαγε, πρῶτον ποίησον τὰ γεγραμμένα, καὶ τότε ἔρχῃ καὶ γράφω σοι καὶ τὴν λοιπάδα. Ἀποφθέγματα Των Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Παλλαδιος Source: Migne PG 65.132b-c

Father Abraham spoke of a man of Scetis who was a scribe and did not eat bread. A brother came to ask him to copy a book. The elder whose mind was engaged in contemplation, wrote, omitting some lines and with no punctuation. The brother, receiving the book and wishing to punctuate it, found that some sentences were missing. He said to the old man, 'Father, there are some omissions.' The elder said to him, 'Go away and first do what is written, then come back and I will write the rest for you' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia